Smoke-consuming furnace



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. AHLBERG.

SMOKE OONSUMING FURNACE.

No! 367,018. Patented July 26, 1887.

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WWW/Z I .dttorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented July 26, 1887.

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SMOKE OONSUMING FURNAGB.

/d WITW'ESSE'ISQj UNITED STATES PATENT 'FFICEQ PETER AHLBERG, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SMOKE-CONSUMING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,018, dated July 26, 1887.

Application tiled March 30, 1857. Serial No. 238,007. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER AHLBERG, of Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Smoke-Consuming and Fuel-Saving Furnaces; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertainsto'make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

My invention consists of the combinations of devices andappliances hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a steam-boiler furnace embodying my invention,showing parts in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a section by a horizontal plane on a.level of the discharge-pipes beneath the grate. Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. 4, but illustrates a variation in the form of the discharge-pipes. Fig. 6 isa separate viewof the disturber H. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively perspective and sectional views of the mixer 1. Fig. 9 is a separate view of the air-blower fan,illustrating gates or valves, either one or both of which may be employed for regulating the blast from the fan.

It is the object of my invention to produce a device which sh all abstract from the ascending products in the smoke-flue of a steamboiler furnace the heavy products, carry them back, mix them with the air, and discharge the same beneath the grate in such a manner as to accomplish their thorough combustion. To this end I construct the apparatus in the manner which I will now proceed to describe.

A represents any ordinary steam-boiler. 'B is the furnace-wall. G is its smoke-flueyD, its grate.

E is a drum leading from the smoke-flue. E is a deflector just above this chamber E.

F is a suction-fan adapted to draw products from the chamber E.

G is an air-blower fan adapted to take air from the exterior and propel it forward.

H is a conduit through which both fans dis charge their contents.

I is a chamber at the discharge end. of the conduit H.

His what I term a disturbcr, designed to give to the contents of the pi pe at this point such a whirl or dcflection'as will to a certain extent commingle them.

1 is a mixer, and is designed at this point to thoroughly break up the currents passing through the conduit H and effect athorough mixing and conimingling of the entire mass.

J is a chamber into which the products pass from the chamber I, and K represents a series of pipes projecting from the chamber into the space in the ash-pit beneath the grate. The pipes K are perforated, so as to permit the products to escape in jets which project upward and forward in the direction of the bridgewall.

The operation of the device will now be understood: The smoke and other heavy products carried forward by the draft are, by the suction created by the suctionfan, caused to eddy into the chamber or drum E. The lighter gaseous products pass onward up the smoke-flue. The smoke and heavy products, being thus arrested by the suction-fan, are carried forward through the fan and out through into the common conduit H. At thesame time air drawn in by the air-blower fan is driven forward into the same conduit 11, and passes on thence with the smoke and products from the suction-fan. Reaching the disturber H, the distinctive currents are whirled by the spiral blades constituting the said disturber, and are thus more or less eommingled together. They then strike the mixer l, and in passing through this mixer the air and products are thoroughly torn up and intimately commingled. Passing thence through the ch amber and into the pipes beneath the grate, the mass, suffieiently supplied with its own oxygen to effect combustion, is projected out in the form of jets against the under surface of the grate, and so smoke is effectually consumed in its second passage through the incandescent bed of fuel.

I am aware that a device has been made in which a suction-fan draws the smoke from a similar chamber adjacent to the smoke-flue and forces it forward and discharges it beneath the grate; but in that device reliance is had upon a valve which admits air into the con duit which leads to the suction-fan. I have found, however, that this detracts materially from the ability of the fan to do its work. Thus, when there is considerable smoke and there is required a larger amount of oxygen forits consumption,it would ne'cessitateawider opening of the air-gate, which in turn would to some extent reduce the suction within the chamber E, and so the device was in a great degree impracticable; but by the location of an independent air'blower fan this difficulty is obviated, for the supply of air is made entirely independent of the suction-fan. The latter fan can maintain and stand a steady suction from the smoke-stack, while the supply of air is regulated atwill. This feature there'- fore of supplying twoindependent fans, as explained, I believe to be new.

To regulate the suction of the fan without altering its speed, I provide any suitable gate or valve, F, and to regulate the supply of air without altering the speed of the air-fan, a suitable gate or valve, G, is likewise employed. So, also,.I prefer, although I would not wish to be limited in this respect, to em ploy independent gates or valves K at the entrance of each of the pipes K, so that the products may be cut off'from any particular pipe, in whole or in part, and caused to discharge through the other pipes. Such arrangement of valve K might prove desirable to meet the varying conditions which might exist in any particular'case.

L is a plate secured to the manifold through which the pipes K enter.- This may be employed, or the pipes may be connected directly with the manifold M is a plate uniting the inner extremities of the pipes K, to hold them in proper relation with each other. v

N is a perforated plate covering the open ends of the said pipes K. This perforated plate is united with the plate M by slot-andpin connections,and hasahook or other means, a, at its end adjacent to the ash-pit door, so that it can be forced in one direct-ion to close the open ends of the pipes K, or may be forced in the opposite direction, so as tocanse its opening to register over the open ends of the pipes K. The purpose of this construction is as follows: Ashes dropping from the grate, especially when the fans are not in motion, are apt to collect in and fill up the pipes K. These pipes can at any time be cleaned by simply sliding the plate N, so as to permit the blast to drive the ashes out through the open ends of the pipes.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular form of disturber H, nor to any particular form of mixer I. In fact, either or both of them may be entirely dispensed with. I prefer, however, to employ either or both of them.

The mixer I may be any suitable form of spiral plates for giving a whirl to the contents, and a convenient construction is that shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The mixer I (illustrated in the drawings) is deemed by me to be an excellentform of this device. It consists of a surface which has orifices punched up from below, so as to project sharp fins upward against the down-flowing products, presenting a surface something like that of a grater or colander. At the same time the surface is slotted, so as to permit a thorough mixing of the mass.

The deflector E may or may not be employed. Its purpose 'is to intercept to a certain extent the smoke and heavy products ascending through the smoke-flue and bring them more readily under the influence of the suction-fan, while it will permit the lighter volatile products to pass off readily up the flue.

K represents another form of damper, the

same being in the nature of an ordinary valve. It is frequently the case that a smoke-flue does not rise immediately from the uptake of the boiler; but the products are carried by breeching off in a horizontal or nearly horizontal direction to a smoke-stack, in which case. the chamber or drum E might be dispensed with and the suction-pipe enter directly'into the breeching.

Although I usually prefer the perforated form of discharge-pipe K, yet I would have it understood that the purpose. of the perforations is to distribute the discharge with substantial uniformity beneath the grate. This may be-accomplished with more or less satisfaction by the construction shown in Fig. 5,in which the pipes are not, perforated, but are made of different lengths and turned upward and outward at their extremities only, andI would have this construction regarded as they equivalent of the perforated pipes hereinbefore described.

The damper K is preferably constructed with a series of valves, as shown in Fig. 5, each adapted for operation separately to close off any one or any number of the adjacent discharge-pipes. These valves may be adj nstably engaged in the outer case of the chamber J, and be arranged to close the adjacent pipe K at the will of the operator.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with a steam-boiler furnace, of a suction-fan, an admission-conduit communicating with the smoke-flue, a discharge conduit leading to the furnace, and means for admitting airinto the saidconduit, and in connection therewith mechanical means located within the discharge conduit for breaking up and mixing the contents of the conduit prior to their discharge, substantially as and for the purposes described. 7

2. The combinatiomwith a steam-boiler furnace, of a conduit leading from its smoke-flue back to its furnace, a fan for creating a current from the former to the latter through the flue, and a disturber, H, for whirling and mixnace, of a conduit leading from its smoke-flue to the furnace, means for admitting air to the latter, a fan for creating a blast through the conduit from the smoke-flue to the furnace,and the mixer 1, adapted to tear up and thoronghl y commingle the contents of the conduit prior to their discharge, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination,with asteam-boiler furnace, of an exhaust-fan and a blower-fan, the former communicating with the smoke-flue, the latter with the external air, and both dis charging through a common conduit, pipes K,

through which the discharge is distributed,

and means within the common discharge-con- 6. In a steam-boiler furnace, the combination, with the chamber J and the pipes K, of 25 the perforated plate N, wherebytlie ends of the pipes may be opened or closed at will, to facilitate cleansing them of ashes, &c., substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the smoke-flue ex- 0 haust-fan and furnace, substantially as described, of the deflector E, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination, with the chamber J, of

pipes K and the damper K", said damper con- 5 sisting of a series of valves engaged in the outer face of said chamber, and adapted for independent adjustment to close off the adjacent discharge-pipes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIsign this specification 40 in the presence of two witnesses. 4

PETER AHLBERG.

\Vitnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, SAMUEL E. THOMAS. 

